Thin fresh green grass on pitch number six might be a South African ally when India and the Proteas go head to head in the 1st Sunfoil Test match from Friday 5th January at PPC Newlands, but Evan Flint, the curator has warned that the dry summer might affect conditions.

“We had three millimetres on Sunday and one and a half on Monday, which made conditions a bit quicker,” Flint said about the conditions ahead of the Test match between the heavyweights of the world.Flint has applied borehole water to ensure that PPC Newlands stays green for the contest, the first since the Indian team came to South Africa in 2010/2011. India looked well on course in that deciding match before the clash finished in an exciting draw.

The curator did not want to commit himself to who will be advantaged by the conditions. “It depends on who adapts quicker on the day – it is not necessarily favouring anyone,” he added.Ravi Ashwin has taken 304 wickets in 55 tests, while the left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja is a world-class left-arm spinner.

“I think if the fast bowlers bowl well enough, there will be something in it for them,” he added.Dale Steyn is South Africa’s most successful bowler of all time at Newlands, while Vernon Philander has captured 5-7 at the same venue. Steyn has mastered the art to bowl at Newlands, while Philander was more successful during his first few years at the venue.

Cape Town, is in the midst of one of its biggest droughts of the past century, and that could just be to India’s advantage.Asked whether the pitch will offer similar advantages to batsmen and bowlers as in the previous two tests – against Sri Lanka and England – the latter produced 629 runs and 627 by South Africa – Flint said it could be somewhere in between.

During his press conference, Virat Kohli, was confident and said his team has struck the right balance to win test matches in any conditions they play in.

The Indian team will play again at PPC Newlands a One Day International on the 7th of February before completing the tour in a thrilling T20i against the South Africans on the